Oldsters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A category of individuals advanced in years, typically associated with accumulated experiences and insights
2. Individuals who have lived through various life stages and are often regarded as sources of guidance and tradition
3. A group of older persons who are seen as bearers of wisdom and cultural practices

Etymology: "Oldsters" is the plural of "oldster," a noun for an older person, and it is built from the adjective "old" plus the suffix "-ster," which English uses to form words for people, as in "youngster," the word the new coinage was modelled on. The pairing is a neat piece of word-making: "youngster" was already a familiar term for a young person, and "oldster" appeared in the early 19th century as its mirror image, giving English a matching pair for the two ends of life. The plural "oldsters" therefore refers to the elderly as a group, the way "youngsters" refers to young people collectively. Its meaning is plain from its parts, so the word's history is simply that of "old" with a suffix borrowed by analogy from "youngster."

Synonyms: elders, seniors, old people

Antonyms: youths, youngsters